Aluminium metallisation of argon and oxygen plasma-modified polycarbonate thin film surfaces

The influence of plasma treatment on the metallisation of polycarbonate surfaces was studied using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAFS) and core level X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Thin films of two different molecules were chosen: bis-phenol-A polycarbonate with phenol endgroups (P-PC) prepared ex situ by the spin-coating technique onto MoTe2{0001}surfaces, and the model compound bis-phenol-A polycarbonate (n=1) with tert-butyl phenyl endgroups (tBP-PC) evaporated in situ in UHV onto Cu{110}, Ag{100} and Ag{111} surfaces with film thicknesses of up to several monolayers. Surfaces of untreated samples and of samples which were pre-treated with either an inert argon or a reactive oxygen microwave plasma were metallised with Al (evaporated by electron beam heating) at film thicknesses ranging from the sub-monolayer region up to several monolayers. For the untreated surface, XAFS and XPS spectra suggest that the Al reacts with the carbonate groups leading to a breaking of the CO double bonds (and/or a reduction in bond order) as well as formation of Al oxide, Al hydroxide and Al–O–C linkages. A study of the time-dependent oxidation of the evaporated Al leads to the conclusion that Al slowly diffuses to the reactive sites in the first few subsurface layers of the polymer. Argon plasma treatment of samples leads to a reduction in the number of carbonyl groups in the near surface region. After metal deposition a higher ratio of metallic, non-reacted, Al was observed covering the polycarbonate surface and the diffusion rate into the polymer bulk seems to be higher than in the case of the untreated surface. Oxygen plasma treatment leads to the creation of additional CO containing species which also react with the Al in the subsequent metallisation process. Here, the ratio of oxidised Al on the polymer surface is higher than observed for untreated and argon plasma pre-treated polymer surfaces.